The United States has withdrawn most of the military personnel it deployed to Nigeria for a joint counterterrorism operation in the Lake Chad Basin, following the completion of the mission.
The Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, disclosed this during a press briefing on the outcome of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference 2026.
Anderson said the operation, conducted in partnership with the Nigerian military, had achieved its objectives, adding that while most U.S. personnel had returned to Washington, intelligence cooperation between both countries would continue.
“And so that operation in the Lake Chad Basin of Nigeria not only helped the countries in that immediate region; it also helps countries globally as that disrupts the ISIS network.
“And then we have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation, but are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to help continue with the intelligence sharing and the understanding that’s necessary to be able to prosecute these difficult tasks,” he said.
The U.S. had, in February, deployed about 200 military personnel to Nigeria to support intelligence, surveillance and counterterrorism operations targeting the Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh) and other terrorist groups operating in the Lake Chad Basin.
The deployment followed sustained security cooperation between both countries, including U.S. air strikes carried out on Dec. 25, 2025, against two terrorist enclaves in the Bauni Forest in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The partnership also culminated in the killing of Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of the Islamic State global network, during an operation in Borno State.
Speaking on the outcome of the collaboration, Anderson described Nigeria as a strategic and capable partner with a strong military, saying the joint intelligence efforts had produced significant gains against terrorism.
“I think the partnership that we’ve shown recently with Nigeria, where Nigeria’s a very capable and large country — it’s got a strong economy; it’s got a large, educated population; it’s got a very capable military.
“But there are things that we have learned in the counterterrorist fight over several years that we were able to assist and integrate with them to help them with their intelligence and help with the intelligence sharing that eventually led to a cooperative effort to where we were able to bring some unique capabilities that the U.S. brings and be able to prosecute together the number two leader within the ISIS or Daesh organization who is responsible for much of their global operations, their global media, and their recruiting,” he said.
According to him, the operation demonstrates how the United States intends to support African partners by providing specialised capabilities that enhance their effectiveness in combating terrorism.
He stressed that future engagements would continue to focus on intelligence sharing and capacity building rather than prolonged military deployments.
The U.S. general also called for stronger intelligence collaboration among African countries to combat terrorism, illicit trafficking and other transnational organised crimes.
He cited a recent multinational operation that led to the interception of a record 31-ton cocaine shipment originating from South America and transiting along the West African coast.
According to him, the operation was made possible through intelligence coordination involving U.S. interagency partners, the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and regional allies before a Spanish naval vessel intercepted the shipment.
“I was able to coordinate through our interagency in the United States, through AFRICOM, and then notify some of the partners. And eventually it was a Spanish ship that interdicted the ship that had 31 tons of cocaine on it, and it turns out is the largest interdiction of drugs at sea that we’ve ever seen,” Anderson said.
